


Crushed

by EpsilonWrites



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Ana knows all, Awkward Kissing, Canon-Typical Violence, Dorks in Love, Early Overwatch, Fluff, Gabe has no shame, Getting Together, Humor, Injury, Jack's inner monologue, M/M, Recovery, Sexual Tension, They're both head over heels for each other, like back when it was the strike team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:37:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10093229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpsilonWrites/pseuds/EpsilonWrites
Summary: The Strike Team is on a mission that happens to go rather smoothly... to an extent. Jack makes a split-second decision that ends up working in his favor. Well, minus the painful part.





	

**Author's Note:**

> They're idiots but they're good for each other.
> 
> If you like what I write, follow me on Tumblr at https://epsilon-writes.tumblr.com/ :) I take requests!

              Gunfire had a habit of stripping away more than just flesh. It reduced you to your own primal instincts, adrenaline coursing through your blood and reducing you to a mess of the same old thoughts: _Keep running and pray you keep at least some of your limbs_.

              At least, that’s how it seemed to Jack. He couldn’t be the only one, he rationalized as he skirted around cover at his CO’s signal. After all, he was as ordinary as they came.

              Just another ordinary soldier.

              Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The amount of chemicals raging through his system right now should have been illegal. It probably was, come to think of it. He wasn’t as green as before, but seeing what the enhancements had done to his and Gabe’s entire beings was always an experience. They were stronger, faster, more perceptive, just _better_ in general.

              Still didn’t help the fact that they didn’t have bulletproof skin, Jack thought as a few rounds whizzed past his cheek. Although, it would probably have made them look like lizards a little, and Jack quite appreciated his skin the way it was, thank you very much.

              He appreciated Gabriel’s skin too, but that was another matter entirely. Speaking of which…

              For all the teasing he got about his mediocre (godawful if you asked Gabe) dancing skills, he was quite successful in the prolongation of the drawn-out duet he and the other man had been performing for the last few years. A duet of frustration, of toeing the line between emotional support and romance, of gentle touches meant to convey the fact that the other was _still there, still breathing_ , of hugs that lasted a little longer than normal, of Jack lying awake at night wondering _what the hell he was doing_.

              It wasn’t easy having a big fat crush on your Commanding Officer, that was for sure. Who could blame him, though? Watching Gabriel do squats had given just about everyone in SEP a heart attack at some point.

              Jack stopped his train of thought right there, considering that any more images of his friend’s lower body would most likely give him a problem that he _really_ didn’t have time to deal with right now. Emphasis on _no time at all_ , he thought as Reinhardt’s booming voice crackled into the mic.

              **“Their defenses have been crushed, my friends! Onward, to glory!”** Looking to his right, Jack could just make out the shape of the burly German man advancing on the rogue Omnics with Ana and Torbjorn covering him from a safe distance.

              He looked back to Gabriel, who radioed back his affirmation and signaled him to provide cover fire as he moved in with the neutralizer. Jack nodded and hefted the pulse rifle into his arms, relishing in the comfortable weight of the weapon. They were lucky that the Omnics were just as susceptible to focusing on large targets as humans were; there were surprisingly few obstacles to prevent them from circumventing the larger threat on the way to the core. Those that Jack was unable to take down completely were quickly destroyed by Gabriel once the sounds of pulse munitions got their attention, and Jack took the heat off of his companion when things were getting tough at close range.

              In their endorphin-drunk moments after missions Gabe often referred to this dynamic as the “ass-kicking bullet maelstrom of doom”, usually while hanging off of Jack’s shoulder looking exhausted but satisfied with the fact that they were still somewhat alive.

              “Morrison, with me! Let’s finish this!” Gabe shouted back to his teammate, who quickly sprinted into the warehouse, all the while checking their flanks. The Commander jammed the neutralizer into the core of the Omnium, bringing up the holographic screen to make sure the machine was stable during the process.

              Jack’s watch was unwavering, pacing back and forth quickly in an attempt to see in all directions at once. “Slow down, Sunshine. Makin’ me nervous,” Gabe murmured as he worked away at his station.

              “Excuse me for trying to cover your sorry ass,” Jack groused. Honestly, it was almost like his friend got off on antagonizing him sometimes.

              “Maybe my ass likes to be uncovered, if you don’t mind. Feels more natural anyway.” _Christ,_ he did not need that image right now. Come to think of it, Gabriel _did_ have a nasty habit of sleeping naked in the summertime. Jack knew this for a fact after stumbling into their room one night and being graced with a sight he swore should be commemorated with a painting. After the first few times, he grew to expect and even predict these occurrences.

              The blonde shook his head and continued his pacing as Gabriel informed him that the neutralization was at 85%. That’s when he caught the slight movement out of the corner of his eye.

              That was a Bastion unit. It didn’t look happy.

              Jack looked to Gabriel, who was too engrossed in the final step of the process to notice and made a split-second decision. There was no way he could take down the unit before it had configured itself into a turret and blasted both men full of lead, and there was too much riding on this mission for it to fail.

              So, he started running straight for it.

              Gabriel’s shout barely registered in his ear before he had slid across the ground and aimed his rifle at the ceiling above both him and the Omnic. The Helix Rockets hit the concrete as the neutralizer hit 98%.

              Rubble crashed down upon him and the unit. 99%.

              Everything hurt. 100%.

              He faintly heard the sound of heavy boots drawing nearer and nearer, and was mildly startled by the amount of concrete being lifted off him frantically as Gabriel dragged him out of the wreck. Jack felt a sharp pain in his side and blearily looked down to its source.

              Yep. That was definitely shrapnel.

              Gabe was yelling at him, yelling into the radio, trying to get medical help as soon as possible. He felt his friend fumble around with the emitters clipped to his waist, trying to find one that wasn’t busted. Soon enough, the soothing glow of the biotic field started to stabilize his condition.

              Gabe was still yelling at him.

              “Jack, you fuckin’ dumbass! Don’t you dare leave me, please don’t, c’mon!” He slipped into Spanish somewhere along the line, and Jack vaguely remembered how much he liked when Gabriel spoke in his native tongue.

              Strong hands gripped his face and he tried his best to smile, to let Reyes know that he’d be fine, that everything would be fine. He felt a trickle of something make its way down his cheek. Oh, he was bleeding from his face. He wasn’t sure where.

              Everything was getting fuzzy, even Gabriel’s sharp eyes. They really were beautiful. Distantly, Jack heard a cry of “no, stay with me Jack, c’mon!” before he felt himself succumb to unconsciousness.

***

              Jack awoke to a deep voice chanting, “stupid, stupid, stupid!” and a firm pressure on his left hand. He opened his eyes to be greeted by a sterile-looking environment, and saw that his body was covered by a thin blanket save for said hand, which was currently being held in a death-grip by one Gabriel Reyes.

              “Aww, you’re holding my hand, that’s so sweet,” Jack croaked, his voice rusty from the lack of water.

              He swore he saw smoke puff out of Gabriel’s ears. “I could kill you right now,” the other man said. He didn’t let go of Jack’s hand. “Running into fire like that, bringing an entire floor down on yourself, for fuck’s sake, Morrison!”

              Jack fixed his CO with a dopey grin. “I’m flattered that you don’t only care about the mission, Reyes,” he teased.

              Gabriel looked away and mumbled, “it was never just about the mission.” _Well, that was unexpected._ Jack responded by squeezing the hand holding his in what was supposed to be a friendly gesture that didn’t give away the fact that he’d gladly put himself in danger for the other man a million more times. It was _supposed_ to be an “I’m here and we’re alright” statement without going so far as admitting “I wouldn’t mind touching you all the time and maybe you could touch me too.”

              Gabe merely looked down to where their hands were connected and blinked a few times. _Great_ , Jack thought, _I’ve finally crossed the line._ His train of consciousness was interrupted when his friend brought his hand to his lips and kissed it gently, all while looking the blonde straight in the eye.

              The heat at the tips of Morrison’s ears felt scalding. He regarded his companion with a sense of wonder as the man’s thumb slowly traced over his knuckles.

              “M’ not losing you again,” he whispered. _Score. All I had to do was collapse a building._ Jack gently pressed his hand under Gabriel’s chin, coaxing it upwards so he could meet the other in a kiss.

              It wasn’t perfect; Jack was at an awkward angle and his throat was really too dry to be healthy, but he figured that anything involving Gabe was like that. Messy in practice, always worth it. And damn if he wasn’t going to enjoy every minute of it.

              Until Gabe got a little greedy and accidentally pressed his fingers into Jack’s injured side.

              He broke the kiss with a grunt of “ow, Gabe” and the other immediately drew back muttering apologies. Jack merely chuckled a bit while nursing his wound before he heard a rustling outside followed by a slew of Arabic curses.

              Jack sighed. “Jig’s up, Ana- you can come in.”

              The sniper sheepishly entered, brushing a long black lock of hair out of her face before cocking her hip to the side and placing a hand on it.

              “About time you both got around to it,” she said.

              The three exchanged friendly teasing for a while before Ana and Gabriel left Jack to recover. The soldier stared up at the blank ceiling of the medical tent and smiled.

              All the while, Gabriel never let go of his hand.


End file.
